ST. LUCIE COUNTY – A dog was rescued Thursday morning from the rubble of a home struck by a tornado triggered by Hurricane Milton in a retirement community aged 55 and over. A resident found the dog, Benji, at the Spanish Lakes Country Club Village retirement community near Fort Piece.
CBS News Miami reporter Morgan Rynor was on hand during his live appearance on “CBS Mornings.”
“I can’t believe I’m starting off with some good news right away,” Rynor said during the segment.
“He got Benji. He got Benji. Oh my God,” Rynor said seconds after a man found the dog in the debris.
Benji was missing Wednesday evening after tornadoes hit the community. On Thursday, the dog was taken to a veterinarian for examination.
Two people in the house died, the neighbor told Ryner.
HAS at least four people died in St. Lucie County after multiple tornadoes strike Hurricane Milton landed, county spokesman Erick Gill told CBS News Miami.
Gill could not confirm the number of victims at the Spanish Lakes Country Club Village retirement community near Fort Pierce. The modular homes are located off Turnpike Feeder Road, west of Route 1.
“It’s unlike anything else we’ve seen,” Sheriff Keith Pearson told CBS affiliate WPEC.
He said 12 confirmed high-intensity tornadoes tore through the area in 20 minutes.
More than 100 personnel, including the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Florida Highway Patrol, National Guard and State of Florida Fish & Wildlife, are on site, including going door to door in the community to conduct search and rescue operations.
They called off their search and rescue operations overnight due to poor weather conditions, but resumed the search in the morning.
“Everything we can do is search the area. Check the residences and, if there’s anyone inside the residences, we’re going to work through the storm to get them out,” Pearson said.
